SHEBOYGAN - The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) estimates that the county needs around 1,150 apartment and single family units by the end of 2018 in order to support Sheboygan's growing economy.

Currently they have 800 units either built and occupied or under construction.

"The lack of housing in Sheboygan county has been a barrier to economic growth," said SCEDC director Dane Checolinski.

Checolinski says that companies are rapidly growing in the area but lack of housing is making it difficult for people to move to the county for work. He also explained that even if people join a company in the county, they live outside the county because of lack of housing.

"We don't get to see the upside of our companies' growth," he said. "Sheboygan County could be capturing that market because people generally want to live closer to where they work."

Currently, there are about 800 apartments in the county spread throughout the Town of Sheboygan, Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls and the City of Sheboygan riverfront. 322 of those units are occupied or tenants have filed paperwork to occupy them. The remaining 475 apartments are under construction.

Although not all have been approved, Checolinski said there are several project proposals in the works that would help get the housing number up to the 1,150.

According to Checolinski, in order to sustain the anticipated economic and population growth of the county, the SCEDC estimates that they need about 1,400 total apartments by 2020.

One of the proposals for apartments for this year is the controversial Sheboygan Municipal Armory renovation that would demolish the building and turn it into an apartment and retail space.

"Among several excellent plans competing for the site, the recommended proposal included the addition of 122 apartments, adding to the much needed multi-family development in Sheboygan County," said Checolinski in a release.

The number of apartments and single family homes needed to achieve the 1,400 goal by 2020 would be around 115 new units every year. Checolinski says this is to avoid a shortage of housing units like they had in 2014 where they were backlogged about 700 units.

Sheboygan Falls also tackling housing

Sheboygan Falls is currently attempting to tackle the lack of housing issue by entering into an agreement with Hillcrest Builders of Glenbeulah to develop new homes behind the Willow Creek Condominiums, according to a release by the SCEDC. The homes would be smaller and would require lower lawn maintence.

"Sheboygan Falls has reacted to market demands and we are excited to be among the first providing this type of subdivision in eastern Wisconsin," Sheboygan Falls City Administrator Shad Tenpas said.

The partnership is the result of a new zoning classification that allows for this type of development.

"The new Nostalgic Residential Zoning District allows for dense development that was typical of most American cities pre-WWII," according to a press release from SCEDC.

Sheboygan Falls, like the rest of the county, is experiencing a growth in companies so the demand for housing is immediate, said Checolinski.

The need for housing first came to light following a study commissioned by the SCEDC and the City of Sheboygan back in July of 2017, which found that Sheboygan lacked availability of housing for its growing population.